After struggling to ensure her children get enough playtime, mother and founder of Dlala Nuche Koekoemoer designed the monthly playtime plan to make it easier for nannies.
Balancing the demands of personal and professional life as a first time mom can be stressful, something occupational therapist and mom of two Nuche Koekemoer knows all too well. To make life simpler, she developed Dlala, a monthly playtime plan for babies aged 9 to 24 months, created specifically to help nannies keep little ones engaged and stimulated.
Koekemoer recalls how daunting it felt becoming a mom while juggling work and home life. “As a working mom, I wanted to create playful opportunities for my children while I wasn’t there. But it quickly became overwhelming, especially while trying to manage everything else they needed.”
Even with a nanny on hand, it can sometimes get chaotic for the care giver. She recalls buying every and any toy to ensure her babies get enough playtime and that the nanny is able to do some of her other tasks. “I also purchased a lot of toys and play boxes for my little ones, but my nanny used to struggle as they came with so many details and instructions. This ultimately kept her away from some of her other duties like cleaning and preparing meals.”
That’s when the idea of designing a simpler, stress-free way for nannies to structure playtime hit her. After testing her concept with her own children and seeing how positively her nanny responded, she shared it with friends, who loved it too. “I realised so many moms had the same problem. That’s when I decided to turn it into something that could help both moms and nannies.”
Koekemoer describes Dlala as a printed playtime planner designed for your nanny for the month, it includes various play activities for different weeks. Some include playdates with other children and nannies. “I designed this to make the nanny’s job easier and to support playtime without it being stressful.” The parents who are currently using Dlala, pay a monthly fees and can stop at any time.
Next, she plans on making the product more accessible to mothers and nannies in various communities and also to cater for babies who are older than two years.
Compiled by Clement Matroos
